


Blow Out (My Sixteen Candles)

by enid_salt



Series: The High School 'verse that never meant to be but always was [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gratuitous Teen movie references, High School AU, M/M, Multi, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-Graphic Violence, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 04:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enid_salt/pseuds/enid_salt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Barnes isn't a dramatic kind of guy but when his entire family forgets his birthday and a freshman who can't take a hint is breathing down his neck, he's a little shorter with his temper than usual.</p><p>Then the babysitter bails and he's got three sisters to be responsible for during the rest of the evening.</p><p>The real action, however, starts after that.</p><p>(A super indulgent mash up of Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and Adventures in Babysitting. With a dash of Clueless.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blow Out (My Sixteen Candles)

James Buchanan Barnes was up and had already snuck out the handset into his room to have his best friend on the phone by the time dawn rolled around.

“I don’t look any different.”

He had prepared for the day for the last week - doing a few extra sit ups and push ups in the morning and evening - and was underwhelmed by the results. Still an ungodly mop of dark hair on top of his head, none of it on his chest, and long limbs with sharp angles for joints attached to a short but chunky core. 

Natasha’s sigh and voice came through the line tinny and echoed, “What exactly are you supposed to look like?”

James flexed his sore muscles hidden under the baby fat, “Older. Mature.”

He could hear her gathering her stuff for the school day ahead on the other end of the line, “Well, it’s still early. See you at school?”

James hummed an affirmative response and they hung up so he could sneak the handset back into its cradle and get ready for the day. Sure, it was his sixteenth birthday but he’s not supposed to be on the phone so early and getting grounded on his special day is not on his list of wishes.

He gets ready despite his dad, three sisters, and mom all taking their own sweet time in the same bathroom without even wasting a second wishing him a happy birthday. He waited for everyone else to pile out of the house at the bottom of the stairs. The girls would always go with their dad but, if it’s not too much trouble, he scores a ride with his mom.

She handed out all the stuff they toss beside the door when they walk in at the end of the day.

“Okay, remember Mrs. Gold is gonna look after you guys while your father and I go to the honors dinner. She’s very nice for doing this and you’re going to be what?”

They all answered ‘grateful’ in unison.

She handed James his bookbag, “If you’re gonna go to the Spring Fling thing, just tell her before you go?”

James blinked, he had been expecting they’d have a quick bite of cake before they left for the dinner.

“I don’t know, can I go? Nothing special I have to be home for?” 

Mrs. Barnes sighed, “Of course you can go, James. Curfew is 11 since it’s not a school night. And we’re out of eggs.”

One of the twins, Barbie, walked between them to grab a sweater, “And apples.”

“And apples,” she pulled out a bill, “so here’s some lunch money.”

He held it out in front of them, flabbergasted, “Really?”

She groaned as she searched for a file folder that Mr. Barnes pulled out of his own briefcase and handed to her, “Fine. Midnight. But don’t you dare come in late.”

James did not change his expression.

“What do you want, James? I can’t just drop everything and get you eggs right now.”

The other twin, Bonnie, held out her foot as the eldest girl Becca helped tie the laces on the boots and tattled, “He only eats that stuff to get protein so he can have big muscles to impress his big fat crush.”

James shoved the money in his pocket, “Shut up.”

As his mother reminded him not to tell his sister to shut up, Becca stood up, “You had it bookmarked - Top Ten Foods to Build Muscle. I saw it on the computer.”

James pulled her hat over her eyes, “Why are you on the computer when it’s not homework?”

Becca fixed her hat and hit his arm, “Why are YOU on the the computer when it’s not homework, jerk?”

Mr. Barnes put his arm in between them, “No one should be on the computer when it’s not for homework. We’ll be cracking down on that ASAP. Girls, get in the car. James, you gotta take the bus.”

James thunked his head against the stair barrister, “Seriously?”

Mrs. Barnes threw on her coat, “I’ve got to take some things to the post office before work, I can’t take you to school. We’re going to be running around before we get ready for the dinner, so catch it home too.”

James sat on the bottom step of the stairs. They all piled out of the door.

“I can’t believe it,” he said to the empty air, “They forgot my birthday.”

He shoved his earbuds in and blasted his stupid birthday mix - Nat doesn’t do birthdays but she’s obnoxiously got a carefully curated playlist for even the most obscure situations - all the way to his locker. As he exchanged books, one of the buds was plucked out.

“Told ya it’d be perfect.”

He grunted as he continued sorting through his locker.

 

“What’s wrong?”

He turned to her, “They forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

He slammed the door shut, “My birthday! Every single one of them just blew it off like it’s any other Tuesday.”

Nat frowned, “I’m sure they didn’t forget. They’re probably just waiting until the right time to say something.”

James scoffed, “When? After school, when they’ll be getting ready for the stupid dinner for my dad or after that when the girls are being forced into bed early even though Spring Break starts tomorrow?”

Natasha patted his shoulder, “I know it sucks. But what did you really expect from them? A car?”

James avoided making eye contact.

“Oh dear god, you wanted a car.”

James rolled his eyes, “It wasn’t at the top of my list but yeah, would have been nice.” 

Natasha pulled him into a corner between rows of lockers, “Okay, you’ve got stuff to get off your chest. Tell me. Describe your most awesome birthday.”

James shifted on his feet, “It’s not a big deal. But I get a few happy birthdays with a nice celebratory breakfast and first dibs on the bathroom. And if I were to walk out to a hot motorbike with freedom metaphorically written across the side -”

“And if that guy you’re always talking about but refuse to name was standing right beside it, waiting for you to be whisked away on some magical evening -”

He clapped his hand over her mouth but she licked his palm and he wiped it on her sleeve.

“Shut. Up. If I were to receive a mode of transportation that doesn’t smell like jockstrap and maybe a date, I wouldn’t hate it. There. That’s it.”

Natasha smirked, “What’s that on your binder?”

James looked down to his binder where a notecard was stuck to the back. He pulled it off and looked at it. It was a simple pencil sketch of his profile, no words or signature on it. Natasha peeked at it before dodging around him to walk down the hallway.

“Get to class, Barnes.”

The day had not improved up to the point he was stuck in a useless study hall. He frowned down at the paper on his desk. Tony Stark had a habit of creating utterly meaningless surveys and pushing them on his extended circle until they gave and collected the results for “science purposes”. The one in James’s possession was highly inappropriate - an anonymous survey of sexual preferences. Most of the questions were edging the line but nothing that could incriminate anyone or actually get someone into trouble if it were discovered. Except for the last one.

‘Name the one person you’d have sex with if you could. (No names on this one, BE TRUTHFUL. FOR SCIENCE)’

James scratched at his neck to cover his glance over his shoulder to the person he’d list if he followed instructions. 

Steve Rogers was another student in his study hall. James vaguely knew him via the “friend of a friend” principle that existed in most small class sizes but they hadn’t spoken much.

The main problem is Steve Rogers’s presence seem to have a very distinct effect: James’s mouth would dry as if filled with cotton, his pulse would race, and his flight instincts would send him fleeing to anywhere else.

With just a quick glance, James could feel the quick heartbeat in his clenched fist and the sweat bead at the nape of his neck. He snapped his head forward again when their eyes met. 

He pushed through the instinct to squirm and wrote the name before folding it up into a tight, neat square. He leaned forward to fake a cough into his left hand as his right slipped behind his back and tossed it onto Natasha’s desk.

He did not dare turn his head to check and therefore did not see Steve fake drop his pencil and pick it up before Natasha woke from her power nap.

At lunchtime, James was hounding Natasha.

“You seriously didn’t see it? It was sitting right on top of your futzing desk!”

Natasha pushed him back with one arm as she held out her tray for the slop from the cafeteria line. 

“No. It was not. It was not under my desk either. I notice everything, James. It wasn’t anywhere near me. Are you gonna eat or just angry whisper down my neck as I get food?”

James looked down at the options. Nothing looked appetizing at the moment.

“No. Not that those stupid eggs and apples are working but this stuff? Yeesh.”

She rolled her eyes but got enough prepacked jello and grapes for the both of them.

“It’s been a week. Don’t be dramatic.”

James took the proffered food and grabbed some whole milk and a side of fries as they neared the end of the line.

“So? Are you just gonna admit you left the survey there?”

Natasha glared him down as the cashier swiped her meal card, “James, it wasn’t on my desk. I swear to you.”

James fumbled with the change from his food, “What happened then? The empty desk next to you took it? Or -”

It hit James as he stood at the end of their regular table that Steve had been seated right next to Natasha. And he was already sitting with Clint Barton and Maria Hill at the other end.

He dumped his food on Natasha’s plate.

“James!” she called after him.

He felt the eyes flicked toward him, “I’ve got stuff to do in the library.”

As the rest of them tried to find the logic in James’s behavior, Steve snuck another look at the sheet of paper he had tucked away into his sketchbook. It definitely said his name under a very personal question in James Barnes’s handwriting. And he had already wrote James’s name when he passed his copy back to Tony in Home Ec.

The number one way to calm James down? Well, usually it was the range with Barton. But he was in school and the bow never did him as well as BB rifle he got from his dad on his 12th birthday.

The number two way? Computers. He wasn’t a prodigy like Stark and his best friend Rhodey but he knew his way around a motherboard. He was in a course on programming as a sophomore as both his elective and a prerequisite to take the dual credit course in engineering as a junior. He had taken almost a shine to it but he did put in a lot of time on the library computers in order to maintain a high average.

He had restarted the birthday playlist, sneaking one earbud in on the side not visible by the library desk and drowned his paranoid theories in the coding assignment.

After almost half the lunch period was over, a chat message popped up in the right hand corner. User listed as “N.E. One.” The most ridiculous attempt at anonymity aside, James checked the message in case a good samaritan was warning him the music was too loud.

“Hey.”

James typed a quick “Hi.”

He was on another line of coding when he saw the icon jump.

“You ok?”

James consciously unclenched his jaw, “Yeah. Who is this?”

“A friend? :)”

James didn’t bother looking around for the person, “BW, I told you I’m working.”

There was another pause as James got another two lines down.

“Who is BW? :\”

Everyone he knew who actually used chat for real conversations knew his handle “Bucky” and Natasha’s main handle was “Black Widow” so he had no idea who it was sending the messages. He glanced around. Most of the other kids were hunched over like he was so he couldn’t narrow it down. He continued his work without responding.

“Are you still there??”

James almost closed the window.

“Yeah. Who are you though?”

The class bell rang. He saved his work and was almost ready to log off when he saw the last message.

“Check your locker. :)”

He did happen to need to go to his locker but put up a great show of nonchalance as he gathered his books and the notecard that was on top of them before heading to class. He took a peek as the teacher began the lecture. On one side was another pencil portrait, still sketchy but the added detail made it more startling - even if James never described himself using the word beautiful, the work of art could not fit the word better. On the other was a quote, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May / But thy eternal summer shall not fade”.

He tucked it into his pocket after folding it carefully and focused back on the lesson.

After classes, he went back to his locker and put his books back. Tony strode up to him.

“I’m having a gathering after the Spring Fling thing.”

James snorted, “Say that three times fast.”

“You’re coming.”

James looked at him with a scowl on his face, “No, I’m not.”

“Yeah you are. Nat spilled the beans that the Barnes-es will be occupied and you’ve got a midnight curfew. You’re coming and drowning those birthday boy sorrows in good liquor.”

James shook his head, “No, no, and oh yeah, no.”

Tony wheedled at him, “C’mon. It’s my party and you can cry if you want to.”

“That’s not how the song goes.”

He reached into his pocket for his bus id. The note came out with it and he took an off chance.

“But, have you seen this before? It’s familiar but. . . “

Tony grabbed it, “It’s your face. Dear god, did you have an accident? Do you not remember your face?”

“Other side, ass.”

Tony flipped it, “Ah. Cliff notes, Cher.”

James narrowed his eyes.

“Although they did steal two lines from Billy Shakes’s 18th sonnet for the line. Cute. Secret Admirer?”

James snatched it back, “No. I mean, I don’t know.”

“Bring ‘em with you. But you’re coming.”

“Nope,” James called back as he walked away, “and I lost that stupid survey.”

As he walked toward the bus, James mulled over the idea of going to the party. He even toyed with the idea of really going hard and fast and showing up after curfew. If his parents objected, he could pull the “forgot my b-day” card.

The bus opened its doors and James slumped into a seat quickly, scanning his phone for suitable music after the playlist Natasha had prepared was spent.

"Hey, you rationed tonight?"

James looked up into the beady eyes of a very ignorant freshman.

"Excuse me?"

Brock Rumlow, bottom feeder, licked his lips, "Spring Fling is tonight and I'm gonna be there; so if you are. . . "

James put his headphones in, ignoring his existence completely. He didn’t look up as he was dropped off, speeding past the guy to get out of the vehicle.

Brock, still on the bus, muttered to the air, “Yeah, he wants me.”

Jasper Sitwell, sitting on the seat on the opposite side of the aisle, snorted, “Nah.”

James walked in the door and half expected someone to fall at his feet and apologize.

No such luck; the twins were doing their homework at the dining room table, Becca was putting together a snack, and his parents were already gathering the things to walk out the door.

Mr. Barnes was halfway across the threshold when he shouted a quick goodbye. Mrs. Barnes stopped to air-kiss James on the cheek and murmured in his ear, “The cash to pay Mrs. Gold is in the living room’s candy dish and there’s another $20 to take for snacks for the dance.”

He couldn’t get a syllable out before the car started and they’re pulled out of the driveway.

He was left standing in the byway between the dining room and the kitchen. None of his sisters even looked his way.

Becca didn’t meet his eyes but as she finished her sandwich she warned, “I’m not making your snack for you. But Mom did pick up the eggs and apples.”

He let his gaze bore into her. Not a peep. He walked to the twins. They each asked for help on different questions on their school assignments. He answered and they both said thanks without any real sincerity. 

“Whatever.”

He changed out of his shirt into a different, back into it, and then back out before he shuffled downstairs to greet the newly arrived Mrs. Gold. She was already in the process of talking Becca’s ear off.

“ . . . and you know, Mr. Gold just doesn’t move the way he used to. Anyways, I’ll call him to check in a couple times throughout the night. Oh, James, don’t you look handsome as ever.”

James smiled and made a subtle waving gesture to let Becca know she could walk away.

“Thanks, Mrs. Gold. I’ll be going to the dance so I’ll be back later.”

Mrs. Gold nodded, “What a heartbreaker you’ll be in a few years when you grow into your looks.”

James just nodded and kept up the smile, knowing she meant it as a compliment. Becca snorted and hid it as a cough.

“Well, I’ll be off. But if Bec’s got a cough there’s syrup for it in the cabinet.”

She stared daggers as he walked out the front door. 

Mrs. Gold waved him off at the doorway, “Have fun!”

At the dance, James found Natasha hidden in the shadows and joined her. She rolled her eyes but offered him a sip of her flask.

“Not until the party,” he refused the bottle.

She laughed, “It’s clean - someone’s already bombed the punch.”

He frowned and then took a swig - he could never understand her affinity for diet cola but at least it was non-alcoholic. Sam Wilson walked up behind them and scared them both into jumping a bit.

“Damn, already hitting the hard stuff?”

Natasha passed him the flask, “Trying not to actually. You can smell the cheap vodka in the school’s drinks.”

Sam waved it off, showing a water bottle in his hand, “That’s why you pay for the un-tampered with goods.”

James tried to be casual, darting his eyes around, as he asked, “You come in with anyone?”

Natasha nearly cracked up but Sam shrugged, “I dragged Rogers here with me. He wasn’t doing shit until we met up with Sharon Carter.”

Natasha took the lead in the interrogation, “I thought she was old news - they hooking up again?”

Sam wiped his mouth after taking a sip of his water, “No, no. But she’s got this Brit cousin in for Spring Break. She and Steve seemed pretty easily matched up. They’re even dancing.”

Sure enough, the crowd shifted and James could just make out the same shirt Steve had been wearing earlier, with the sleeves rolled up and untucked from his pants.

He let his spirit and his shoulders droop a bit.

They worked the room a bit as a group, even managing to get Barnes to do the Electric Slide when it came up the fifth time. But fate turned for the worse when they sat on the bleachers for a break.

“Doth mine eyes deceive me or is light breaking from the west?”

Rumlow had sat two inches from James. Sam slipped in between them, shoving Brock out of the way with his shoulders.

“Sun rises in the East. Don’t worry, you’ll learn it by the end of the year.”

Brock maneuvered around Sam, looking to James, “Did you put on your dancing shoes?”

Natasha leaned in, voice low and scary, “If you’re gonna spike the drinks, at least ditch the bottles. I can hear them jingling in your pants pockets.”

Brock spat back at her, “What do you care, square?”

James nodded backward, “Three rows up, Mr. Fury would really love to know how you got that shit in.”

Brock did a double take, giving James the out to run. He walked to the coat rack. It was too warm for him to have brought something but Natasha probably rode her motorbike to the dance and she’d have left her helmet and moto jacket there. He was gonna grab them, get his friends and make their way to the party.

He found the headgear but was at a loss in the pile of leather.

“Here’s Nat’s jacket. I picked it up by mistake.”

James looked up and was locked into eye contact with Steve. His hand was proffered, the aforementioned garment in his grip. James could tell he had really been dancing - the shirt he recognized was also slightly unbuttoned, showing glistened skin stretched over Steve’s sternum. James had about 5 inches and 30 pounds on him but he grabbed the outerwear and slunk away as if he were in danger of being trampled underfoot.

Just as he found Natasha and Sam toasting their victory over Rumlow, James’s cellphone rang.

He answered, “It’s not even nine, come on!”

Becca shushed him, “Mrs. Gold is leaving, you’ve gotta come back.”

James stepped out into the hall, “What? Why?”

“Mr. Gold had some sort of accident, she’s gotta take him to the hospital. She’s super sorry but it’s an emergency.”

James knocked his head against the nearest wall, “Of course. What else could make this night any better?” 

There was an audible shuffle before Bonnie’s voice came over the line, “Bucky, I’m scared. What if I fall down and break a hip?”

He sighed, deciding he’d have to play Protective Older Brother and even pulled out his old nickname for her, “Bunny, you’re not gonna break anything. I’ll be back home soon and we’ll be okay.”

After another couple of goodbyes, he hung up. When he turned, Sam and Natasha were frowning at him.

He shrugged, “The babysitter bailed and my sisters are just scared kids. Tell Stark it was an emergency.”

Natasha snorted, “To Tony, getting bombed is an emergency.”

Sam was more understanding, “Call the ‘rents. If they can leave early, maybe you can make it to the party while it’s still worth it.”

James nodded, “With my luck today, I doubt it.”

Natasha and Sam hugged him before walking away. Sam turned on his heel, “By the way, man, happy birthday.”

James grinned despite himself, “Thanks.”

As soon as he stepped through the door, he was piled on. The twins claimed hold of each of his legs and Becca even hugged his chest.

“I couldn’t get a hold of Mom and Dad.”

James rubbed her back, “They probably turned off their phones for the ceremony part or whatever. They’re fine, we’re fine. Let’s get out of the doorway.”

He dragged them all to the living room couch and turned on a children’s movie they had seen for the hundredth time.

Becca leaned in, “Was the dance good?”

James chuckled without mirth, “No. Some creepy freshman tried to spike the drinks. And frickin’ St - this person was dancing with someone else. But Sam and Nat say hi.”

Becca frowned.

“Wait, didn’t Tony have a party tonight?”

James looked directly at Becca’s face, “What do you know about Tony Stark’s parties?”

Becca rolled her eyes, “Even in the middle school, people get hot and bothered by the idea of being at one of his parties.”

James snorted, “Even Tony’s not gross that way. They’d be turned away at the door.”

“Yeah but every time, some girl tries to lie and says she got in, Tony made goo goo eyes at her all night and Pepper Potts was pissed at her.”

James laughed even louder, “Pepper isn’t a jealous person. And she isn’t even with Tony.”

Becca made a grand wave of the hand, “Hence, the lying.”

James settled down more in the seat, giving a tired groan.

“You know, you could go.”

James shook his head, “Mom and Dad would have my head for leaving you guys alone.”

Becca shrugged, “Just get back before they would. You know they’ll be back after your ‘curfew’.”

James pursed his lips, “No way. Not risking dying just for a Tony Stark Vomit Party.”

He had been way too loud with the last comment because the twins lost connection with the movie.

“Party? What party?”

Barbie shook James’s leg, “I wanna party like Mommy and Daddy are!”

James tried to turn both their heads back to the screen, “No, it’d be a grown up party. Only Moms and Dads and Buckys allowed.”

His cellphone rang again, he checked the caller id. ‘Natasha’ flashed across the screen.

“Natasha? What’s up?”

He got up from the couch and walked away from his sisters.

“Hey, it’s me, Clint. Nat’s cool but Rumlow and his crew is really dogging us. You got a car you can break us out in?”

James griped, “How did you guys even get there? Why isn’t Tony doing anything?”

Clint replied, “Listen dude, this one is a rager. I think the cops might have even been paid off not to break it up - stuff’s smashing left and right. But my ride already ditched and Nat brought Sam with her on her bike.”

James growled in frustration, “Dude, fine. But I’m legit picking you up - your butts better be outside waiting when I pull up.”

“Got it.”

James hung up and picked up the spare key set so he could take his father’s car. He prayed under his breath the key would start the car and that they wouldn’t use enough gas to be noticeable. When he walked back into the room, all three girls were up and waiting for him.

“No.”

The twins made similar dramatic stomps and Becca shook her head.

“They’d hate you leaving us alone - you said it.”

James smirked, “You literally just made an argument that if I got back before Mom and Dad, it’d be fine and they’d never know.”

Becca countered, “If we all go and get back before Mom and Dad, they’ll never know.”

“I’m picking up Nat, Clint, and Sam. We won’t all fit.”

Barbie raised her hand, eager to join in.

James tried not to laugh as he said, “Yes?”

Barbie kept her hand up, “Daddy’s car is super big. We’ll all fit and if we don’t, Nat loves us, she’ll let us sit in her lap on the way home.”

Bonnie agreed with her twin, giving an eager nod.

James scrubbed a hand over his face, “Ugh! Okay. Rules: We’re picking up people and dropping them off at home - none of you get out of the car and no one is sleeping over; two, seatbelts at all times; and lastly, everyone go pee now because the only restroom is here at home.”

After a very chaotic trip to the bathroom, they piled into the Hummer in the driveway. James held his breath as he turned the key in the ignition. When the engine came to life, he exhaled.

“Road trip! Road trip!” the twins cried out.

Becca turned in her seat and put a finger to her lips. The girls continued at a much lower volume.

Halfway there, Becca shifted in her seat, “Can we at least turn on the radio?”

“No,” James double checked his blind spot as he switched lanes, “this is a sensitive operation. No extras, no frills, in and out.”

Becca studied her brother’s face, “Is your crush gonna be there?”

“What?! No! I don’t know - jeez, Bec, I just don’t wanna die on my 16th birthday because we didn’t have a babysitter and I took you guys out of the house.”

There was a long pause.

Then Bonnie raised her hand. James saw it when he glanced in the rearview mirror, “Yes, Bonnie?”

“But last year your birthday was on a Monday.”

James sighed as they sat at a long stop light.

“Guys, you know birthdays are the same date every year right? Mom’s is August 30th, Dad’s is February 1st. Twins were born on the 21st of May; Becca on November 6th.”

Becca finished, a look of utter sadness and mortification on her face, “and yours is today. Oh, god, Bucky, I totally forgot.”

He shrugged, “It’s alright. I’m more bummed Mom and Dad forgot.”

When the car started forward, Becca started the girls singing the happy birthday song for James the rest of the ride.

The car pulled up in the circular driveway in front of a mini-mansion. Clint waved James down.

As he undid the buckle, James reminded the girls, “None of you get out, no one undoes their seatbelt.”

He hopped out and looked around, “Dude, I said be ready. Where are they?”

Clint nodded back to the porch, “Nat’s over there. She was really shouting at Brock earlier - something about him spilling a drink on her and her cup. We got her out but when he came back around Sam ran back in to have some words. He hasn’t come back out.”

James whispered a litany of curses.

“‘K. I’ll go get him - you and Nat stay with the girls.”

Clint grinned, “The babies are in the bus?”

James punched his shoulder lightly, “Just make sure they don’t get the car dirty.”

Natasha walked out from her spot on the porch and James caught her as her body swayed.

“The heck is going on?”

Natasha mumbled and Clint helped her up. He and James exchanged alarmed looks.

“Dude, if I find Rumlow, I’m kicking his ass.”

They helped Natasha into the car and told the girls she was sleepy. They ran back into the house, ready to find their friends and rumble with the opposition.

The party was loud and raucous - par on course for a Stark party. But something in the air set James on edge and he was eager to get back to his sisters and get home. They passed through all the places Clint had said they had been, without a trace of Sam or Brock Rumlow.

They were on the stairwell to the second floor when Tony ran into them.

“Hey, is Nat okay?”

Clint looked nonplussed, “She’s out of it - why?”

Tony pulled them the rest of the way up the stairs.

“Happy came in late, he stole the drink Pepper was holding - one she had taken out of some freshman’s hand, and now he’s puked and passed out in a guest room.”

James shook his head, “Someone’s put stuff in some of the drinks.”

Tony sighed, “I’m gonna shut the festivities down early but I want to catch the buggers first - the police won’t show until I make a call and I don’t want them to escape.”

Clint nodded, “You make some rounds, get whoever’s sick into a room or something, Buck’s gotta grab Sam and bail - he got the kiddos with him, I’ll track down the druggies.”

James chimed in, “I can help - I just gotta be home by midnight.”

Tony shook his head, “No, no, gotta get the Care Bears home and in bed. Grab Wilson and shove off.”

James nodded, turning to Clint, “What about getting you a ride?”

Clint shrugged, “I’ll find someone else. It’s cool.”

At the foot of the stairs, they heard a shouting rising out of a room on their left. Soon a single voice could be made out, “Barton! Barnes!”

They rushed over and found Sam in a tug of war, him pulling on Maria Hill who had been wrapped around Jasper Sitwell.

“Hey, I’m not holding her back,” Jasper complained, “she knocked my drink over, shoved hers in my hand and then latched on like a tick. If you guys can pry her off, take her.”

Tony took the half empty beer, “This is hers?”

When Jasper nodded, Tony pulled out a tablet and dropped it in the drink. It fizzed before turning a different color.

“It’s Rophenol.”

Clint and Sam adjusted Maria between them, “Who would bring roofies?”

Tony poured the drink in a nearby plant, not caring that it was a fake plant.

“Put Hill in the same room as Happy - Pep’s there. Everyone spread out and tell everyone to dump the alcohol.”

James felt a tug at his shirt, he turned and Becca was nervously shifting on her feet.

“Becca, what the hell? I told you to stay in the car.”

Becca nodded and wrung her hands, “I did but Nat was shivering a bit so I got out and popped the trunk to grab a blanket or something for her and the twins got out.”

James shouted, “What?!”

Becca shook her head, “I ran after them but they’re in the party. I can’t find them.”

James looked back to his friends. He had no idea what to do besides look at each of them with desperation.

Sam waved him off, “We got Hill, go.”

Tony grabbed his shoulder, “The sound system has a P.A., we’ll call them over.”

He called as they walked away, “And Sitwell, get up off the couch and tell people to stop drinking.”

Jasper rolled his eyes but got up and started gathering alcohol to dump down the drain.

James grabbed his sister’s hand; he didn’t grip her hard enough to hurt but out of fear he pulled her close.

At the sound set-up, Tony cut the music and James took a microphone.

“Hey, guys, sorry. But, um,” he looked to Becca who motioned to go on, “birdie and bunny, this is Bucky. I need you to call out right now.”

There were mostly confused murmurs but toward the back of the house, James spotted two tiny pairs of arms waving and heard their small voices calling for them.

“Stay right there, we’re coming over.”

Tony switched the music on but at a sedate volume. They powered through the crowd to a group who had turned a coffee table into a beer pong setup. The idea of his grade school sisters learning about the drinking game drained the color from his face.

Bonnie, seated on the shoulder of a massive blond senior football player, called down to him, “Bucky look! It’s Thor!”

James snatched her off of him, “Bonnie, it’s not Thor. He just looks him.”

The girls had received new mythology picture books for their last birthday and had already insisted that their P.E. teacher was Hades. 

The guy laughed, loud and hearty, “I am Thor, actually.”

James stopped checking over Barbie, who had come around from the other side of the table with a paper crown on her head, to listen to the guy. He had a slight accent he couldn’t place.

“Seriously?”

Thor shrugged, “My parents emigrated from Norway, my brother and I are named for Thor and Loki.”

Barbie stuck her tongue out, “See? Thor.”

Becca told her to apologize, and they all linked hands. Tony started twisting and turning the twins in swirls around him to keep them distracted.

James held out his free hand, “I’m James Barnes - the older brother of the chaos twins.”

Thor shook it - and most of James’s right side - with amused fervor.

“We weren’t too far into the game. Once they wandered up, we just bounced the ball back and forth to entertain them.”

James thanked him for it and motioned to the beer pong, “Just FYI. Some of the drinks have had roofies in them, so watch out.”

Thor turned and started instructing people to toss the cups. From the corner of his vision, James spotted a familiar shirt walking toward them. His grip on his sister’s hand pulsed briefly and he tried to gather the group to walk away.

“The drinks are drugged?” Steve asked before James could leave.

Tony moved around them, addressing Steve.

“Don’t worry, Rogers. Only the alcohol and you don’t drink.”

Steve rolled his eyes and didn’t look away from James.

“But Sharon and her cousin Peggy are. They walked away for refills and I haven’t seen them since. It’s only been a few minutes but, you know.”

Tony started leading Steve away when Becca tugged Steve’s sleeve.

“We can help.”

James finally took his foot out of his mouth, “We’ve got to get Nat and you guys home. This is getting out of hand.”

Tony winced, “It might help - dude, I’ve still got a ton of rooms to check for sick people and you’re probably gonna need us to help you load into the car without losing anyone.”

James thought about it and then nodded. Barbie let go of Becca and climbed into Steve’s arms, Bonnie got a piggyback ride from Tony, and they forced a part in the crowd, shouting to dump drinks and leave as they shuffled on. 

In the back of the house at the kitchen, they found Brock Rumlow running a keg, surrounded by other freshmen.

“What the -

Tony clapped really loudly, “Alright, all of you, out. Dump your cups in the sink and vamoose.”

Bonnie parroted him, “Dump and go!”

Rumlow ignored them and kept pouring. His freshman buddies abandoned their cups but gathered closer to the keg.

“You heard him, get to steppin’.”

Brock held out a cup to Becca, “Get your panties out of a twist and have a drink, hon.”

Before James could say something, Steve yelled at him, “She’s a kid! Get the hell away from her.”

Rumlow dropped the tap and shoved Steve back, “Or what?”

James didn’t pause he just socked Brock on the jaw. He expected a reciprocating hit but the action seemed to move away from him. As he pulled his arm back, two people swooped in from the side to take down Jack Rollins before he could swing at James, then Thor and other seniors helped separate people and toss the freshmen out the back door. He turned to thank the people who helped and was not too shocked to see it was Sharon Carter and someone who was presumably her cousin Peggy.

"Nice left hook," he complimented Peggy.

She grinned, "Your right hand wasn't too bad either."

They properly introduce themselves and shake hands. James feels ridiculous but also very mature. It should hurt worse, with Peggy being so great, but it was not.

Sharon nodded toward Becca and the others, "Are the kids okay?"

James nodded, "Yeah, they're good. Are you guys okay? Steve said you guys were drinking - those jerks we just pounded were slipping roofies in the beer."

Peggy nodded and motioned to the abandoned keg, "When we couldn’t get past those idiots, we opted for tap water. We're fine."

Steve turned toward them and shifted Barbie on his hip. James motioned to hand her over but Steve ignored him. Barbie stuck her tongue out at her brother and laid her head on Steve’s shoulder.

"Are you guys ready to go? We've got to load these ladies up and then try and find a ride."

James offered, "I've got room in our car - it's just us and Natasha right now."

Sharon shared a look with her cousin and Steve before agreeing.

Tony and the seniors reluctantly gave up Bonnie who curled around Peggy and nodded off. They all crawled in the Hummer only moving Nat to buckle her in. Becca chose to sit with her younger sisters, giving the front passenger seat to Steve.

It’s silent and almost peaceful compared to the rest of the night. Nat popped wide awake when they get to her house first, kissing James on the cheek and each of the girls on their forehead before getting out of the car. He watched her cross the threshold before he started the car again. Then Steve muttered a few sentences to guide James to the Carter household. 

When they pull into the driveway, Sharon and Peggy said goodnight to each of the girls and patted James on the shoulder. He waved at them. Sharon hopped out then but Peggy leaned in and whispered something that turned Steve’s cheeks pink into his ear. James tightened his grip on the steering wheel but did not let himself tense any further. After the front door closed, James asked for Steve’s address.

Steve shrugged, “Just drop me off at 9th and Concord, I can walk.”

James didn’t turn the key, “Steve, I’ve driven my sisters to a raging party and punched a freshman tonight, I can take you straight to your house. What’s the address?”

Steve folded his arms, “Sam’s place is even closer, you can drop me there.”

James turned in his seat, “Do you not want to go home?”

“No.”

“Then what the futz -”

Steve burst out, “I live in the subsidized tenement, okay? It’s trashy and it’s just on the edge of the school’s boundaries and I didn’t want you to see it, there.”

Becca caught James’s eyes in the rearview mirror. He rubbed at his neck as he thought out his next sentence.

“It’s okay if you don’t want us to drop you off but I’m not gonna judge you for where you live. We’ve all got out sh - stuff we don’t want to share. What’s the closest you’ll let me leave you?”

Steve worried his lip between his teeth, “It’s on the corner of 12th and Pine. I don’t think you can get into the parking lot but we can pull up to it. Thanks.”

James nodded and started the car. They rode in quiet - the kind that only really happens just after midnight - until they arrived.

“Which one is you?”

Steve pointed to a corner door, “Third one up on the right.”

James nodded, “I’ll be here until I see you go in.”

Steve half smiled.

“Goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight, Steve.”

Steve got out and closed the door. He then turned back and opened it again.

“And happy birthday.”

James grinned, “Thanks.”

Steve shut the door again and walked up to his apartment, James’s eyes never leaving him.

“So, is Nat gonna be the maid of honor or is Peggy?”

James swatted at Becca, “Shut up.”

The final trip home seemed longer and wearier than the rest of the night. By the end, all three girls had slipped into dreamland. James woke up Becca but they each carefully extracted a twin to carry inside without disturbing them.

With all of them tucked in, James threw himself on the couch, too tired to drag himself up to his own room.

Minutes later, his parents walked in. His mother was the first to walk over.

“Oh, James. I just realized. We missed it.”

He shrugged, “It’s okay. Wasn’t too bad.”

She ruffled his hair, “You had a good time at the dance?”

He thought of his night - from the dance to the car trip - and nodded. She pressed her lips to his crown.

“Go on up to bed, you’ve had a long night.”

James passed his father who stopped him just before he reached the stairs.

“Don’t worry about family stuff happening tomorrow. We’ll take you out for dinner on the weekend but take the day off and go hang out with your friends - it’s spring break.”

James nodded and saluted before trudging up the stairs. He stripped down to his boxers and flopped on his bed. The last thing he saw before he drifted off is the sketched note that fell out of his pocket when he took off his pants. The last thought was how much the lead looked like the dark stains on the tip of Steve’s fingers.

The Barnes-es, collectively, still got up at a reasonable hour. James muddled through a solid breakfast of cereal and milk, only waking enough to pour it himself.

Mrs. Barnes asked if he needed a ride anywhere. He shrugged and mumbled that everyone was probably still sleeping.

Mr. Barnes chimed in, “If you do need a ride, you can take the car out again. But this time make sure to park it the same way I left it.”

James nodded with his head bowed and quickly finished off his meal. He ran upstairs and cleaned up to get out of the house fast enough to avoid any second thoughts his parents were having on the offer from the night before.

He walked out of the front door and parked in front of his house is Steve Rogers. On a classic motorcycle. James wiped at his eyes to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

“Hey.”

Steve grinned, “Hey.”

James walked closer, “Sweet ride.”

Steve shuffled on his feet, “It’s my dad’s old ride. He left it to me and I only got it fixed up enough to work a while ago. Automotives aren’t exactly my thing.”

James admired some of the details he could see, “Should have asked me. That’s almost exactly my thing.”

“Yeah?”

James looked back at Steve who was staring at James the same way he had been staring at the bike. He took a deep breath.

“Yeah.”

Steve opened his mouth and took a long pause before asking, “You doing anything right now?”

James shrugged, “Nope. Got anything in mind?”

Steve just grinned with a smile so dazzling and vibrant, James could feel it’s warmth dance across his skin like the sun’s light. His stomach dropped like he was at the top of the hill on a roller coaster. It didn’t recover - all through James wearing Steve’s back up helmet and wrapping his arms around his waist as they rode the bike across town, during the entire trip they took through a local shop to pick up a tiny cake and birthday candle, and not when they sat on the floor of Steve’s apartment with the wick lit and wax dripping toward the icing.

“Make a wish.”

James smiled, “It already came true.”


End file.
